Speed-changing mechanism.



E. P. BULLARD, JR. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED DEC-22,1911.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC-22,1911.

Patemed Feb.22,1916.

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E, P. BULL/WU JR. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILEDDEC-22,1911.

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I/Vi memes E. P, BULLARD, JR. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM.

- APPLICATION FILED 050.22. 1911".

Patenied Feb. 22, 1916.

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E. P. BULLARD, JR.

SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED 050.22.1911.

1 '1 jig 3% 1 a Patented Feb. 22 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD P. BULLARD, JR., OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUL-LARD MACHINE TOOL 00., F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

SPEED-CHANGING MECHANISM.

Application filed December 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD P. BULLARp, Jr., citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpeed-Changing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n speed changing mechanisms andinterlocking means, whereby various changes of speed may be obtained andthe parts locked in engagement for each of the several speeds.

The purpose of the device is to improve upon transmission mechanism ofthis class so that a number of difierent speeds may be obtained withoutthe necessity of running from one into the other, and to thus producewhat may be termed a selective type of transmission mechanism; toprovide in connection therewith an improved form of clutch that may alsobe made to act as a brake when the gears are out of mesh; to soconstruct and arrange the operative parts, that the several levers maybe each made to serve several purposes and whereby the speed shiftinglevers cannot be operated until the clutch has been disengaged and theshifting rods simultaneously unlocked; and further to generally improveupon and simplify the construction of mechanisms of this sort so as tobetter adapt it for use upon certain classes of power driven machines.

This transmission mechanism is particularly designed for use inconnection with machine tools, such for instance as boring mills,lathes, maxi-mills, &c., but obviously can be used to advantage uponother styles of machines and therefore is not restricted in itsapplication or to its detail of construction.

Upon the accompanying four sheets of drawings forming a part of thisspecification, similar characters of reference will be found todesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures,and upon which,

Figure 1, shows a side elevation of my improved primary sliding gearspeed changing device with inclosing case for same, the operating leversbeing shown broken off. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal central verticalsection. taken on the plane of the driven shafts. and indicated by 2-2in Fig. 5. Figs. 3

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 667,293.

and 4 show detached side views of the friction disks 33 and 40 shown inFig. 2. Fig. 5, is an end view as seen from the right of Fig. 1 the end'of clutch face 14 being broken away. Fig. 6, is a detached front viewof the double guide plate through which the two operating levers 66 and67 are operated. Figs. 7 and 8, show detail sectional elevations of oneof the pair of slide rods 62 and 63, locking devices and operatinglevers for same. Fig. 9, shows a sectional plan View, taken on'line 99of Fig. 1, illustrating the operating levers, slide rods and connectedparts. Fig. 10, shows a detail cross sectional view illustrating theoperative connections of the slide rods with sliding gears, and, Fig.11, shows a sectional plan view through the secondary transmissionmechanism that I connect with the primary and operate by levers attachedthereto.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings 12 represents a gear casing which is shown bolted to a part ofthe machine frame 13. This casing includes an extension for the clutchmechanism, that is inclosed by a cap 14 and is in line with the main orlower shaft 15. 16 represents the end of a driven shaft that is coupledto the main shaft mounted to turn in suitable bearings 1717 of thetubular shaft 18 that is journaled in bearings 1919 of the casing. Uponthe outer end of the shaft 15 is secured an outer gear 20 that serves todrive the gear connections 21 for pump 22 which is used to lubricate thetransmission mechanism but which forms no material part of theinvention.

To the tubular shaft 18 is keyed two pairs of sliding gears 23 and 24:of different sizes. These gears serve to engage other gears on a drivenshaft 25 for the purpose of transmitting different speeds thereto, asfor instance the larger gear of pair 24 is designed to be engaged withthe gear 26 upon the shaft 25 while thesmaller gear of the same pair maybe made to engage the gear 27 which is slightly larger than the gear 26.The largest of the pair of gears 23 is in a like manner designed toengage the larger gear 28 while the smaller gear of the pair 23 isarranged to be thrown into engagement with the largest gear 29. Thegears, 26, 27, 2S and 29 are all secured to the shaft 25 and turn withit and its connected shaft 30 at different speeds, governed by the speedof the shaft 18 and the particular one of the sliding gears which may bethrown into mesh with that of the connectible gear on the shaft 25.

The driving connections between the shafts 15 and 18 are made through aclutch and brake mechanism. shown at the right in Fig. 2- and comprise aspool 31 that is secured to the shaft 15 by means of a key 32. A seriesof disks 33 are mounted to turn with, but are permitted to slidelongitudinally upon this spool by means of keys 34 that are secured tothe periphery of the spool and loosely engage the notches 35 in the holeof the disk so as to insure the said disks turning with the spool asbefore stated allowing endwise movement thereof upon said spool. Asleeve 36 is secured to the tubular shaft 18 and projects forward tocover the said disks upon the spool and form a friction cone 37. Thissleeve is provided with a pair of keys 38 that freely engage notches 39in the disks 40 which are alternately arranged intermediate of thebefore mentioned disks 33. These disks 40 carried by the sleeve, likethe disks 33 upon the spool, are free to move longitudinally, but arerotated with the said sleeve. Said disks are thus susceptible of beingcompressed together so that their sides engage each other and form afriction driving connection which is very effective and capable ofcarrying a heavy load. The means for compressing these fric' tion disksto form the driving connection between the shafts 15 and 18 is in part,a toggle construction, and consists of a plate 41 that is slidablymounted upon the spool 31 and keys 34 and has secured to its outer facea series of studs 42 that are engaged at proper times by the shoulders43 of levers 44. One end of these levers is pivotally connected to acollar 45 also secured to the spool and which is held againstlongitudinal movement by the nut 46 threadably attached to the end ofthe said spool. A sleeve 47 is slidably mounted upon the end of theshaft 15 adjacent to the spool 31 and is secured to turn therewith byreason of its engagement with the before mentioned key 32 in said shaft15 so that the sleeve, spool, toggle and connected parts are at alltimes in alinement with each other. The outer end of each lever 44 ispivotally connected to the inner or enlarged end of the sleeve 47through the medium of short links 48 so that when the sleeve is shovedout toward the end of the cap 14 the said links and con nected ends ofthe levers will be thrown out and the shoulders 43 of the levers broughtto bear upon the studs 42 in a way to press the plate 41 in to engagethe disks.

Upon theiouter end portion of the sleeve is mounted a hub 49 that iskeyed to the sleeve and is further held against endwise movement by thenuts 50 attached to the sleeve. This hub is provided with an annulargroove 51 in which shoes attached to the forked ends 53 of an operatinglever 54 operate. A housing 55 is formed integral with this hub toinclose the toggle mechanism and form an integral friction surface 56 toengage a corresponding beveled friction surface 37 of the beforementioned sleeve member 36. A key 57 slidably connects the housing withthe gear case 12 so as to further prevent the turning of the saidhousing, but permits the same to be moved longitudinally therein. Itwill thus be seen that with the inward thrust of the hub 49, itsconnected cone friction surface will engage that of the sleeve securedto the shaft in a way to form a resistance against the turning of thelatter and thereby form a brake to stop the mechanism if necessary,whereas upon the other hand if it is desired to make a drivingconnection between the two shafts it would be done by the operation ofthe same lever in an opposite direction by throwing the hub 49 and itssleeve out, thus manipulating the toggle and its connections. Anadjustable stop 58 secured to the cap 14 serves to limit the outwardmovement of these parts.

The before mentioned lever 54 is pivot ally connected to a bracket 59 ofthe clutch case and is not only designed to operate the clutches andbrake cones before mentioned, but in addition is provided with anoutwardly extended arm 60 (see Figs. 1 and 5) that engages notches 61 inthe several slidable rods 62 and 63 for the primary 1 transmissionmechanism, and rods 64 and 65 for operating the secondary transmissiunmechanism shown in Fig. 11. The construction and purpose of thisinterlocking device is to prevent movement of theslid- 105 ing gears ofthese transmission mechanisms when the clutch disks are in engagement aswill later be more fully explained. All four of these slide rods 62-,63, 64 and 65 are mounted in the gear casing 12 and are 110 adapted tobe slid backward and forward by the levers 66 and 67 pivotally mountedupon a stud 68 carried upon a bracket 69 which is also formed upon theside of the gear casing 12. The lower lever 66, its rods 115 62 and 63are similar in all respects to the upper set, including lever 67 androds 64 and 65, and. are designed to be connected to operate the slidinggears of a second transmission mechanism shown in Fig. 11. 129 and whichI employ in connection with the primary transmission mechanism. Thisprimary transmission mechanism as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10inclusive, is susceptible of developing four different speeds as betweenthe shafts 18 and 25 while the secondary transmission mechanism issusceptible of producing three, thus making twelve speeds in all thatcan be obtained with the two devices combined. The rods 62-65 are each130 provided with a series of notches 61 for the engagement of the arm60 of the lever 54 in the manner herebefore described. These twopairs'of rods are also each provided with a notch or pocket in theiradjoining inner face for the engagement of the end of the levers 66 and67 to shove the rods backward and forward.

An arm 71 is connected to the upper rod 62 of the lower pair and engagesan annular groove in the gear 24, while a second arm 7 2 is secured tothe lower rod 63 for engagement with a groove of the second pair ofsliding gears 23 so that any movement of the rods is imparted to thegears to throw them in or out of mesh with their driven gears on theshaft 25. The normal positions of these rods and sliding gears areindicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings; thus a movement of either rod inone direction would put the gear in mesh with one of the driven gearswhile a movement in the opposite direction would put it in mesh with theadjoining gear. This movement has necessarily got to be such as to causethe gears to fully register one with the other; otherwise the notches 61referred to would not register with the arm 60 and the same could not beoperated to engage the friction disks for the driving of the shafts andgears. The lever 66 is not only pivoted to swing horisontally, but isalso susceptible of a vertical movement thus allowing the lower end ofthe lever to be swung up or down for engagement with the pockets 70 ineither rod 62 or 63. The one lever thus serves to operate the two rodsit being of course obvious that but one rod could be operated at a time,and that has'to be properly returned to a neutral position before thelever can be disengaged and put into engagement with the pocket of thesecond rod.

I employ a second locking device to further hold the slide rods againstany possible enclwise movement while the operating levers aredisengaged, which is clearly shown in Figs. 5, 7, 8 and 11, and whichconsists of two buttons 73 that are pivotally mounted upon screws 74secured to the casing 12 covring the clutch disks. There are two ofthesebuttons one for each pair of rods 62 and 63, and 64 and 65, theconstruction and operation of each being the same. These buttons arelocated opposite the ends of the levers 66 and 67 and are operated bythe vertical movement .of the ends of the said levers as will be readilyunderstood from Figs. 7 and 8. These buttons are each provided with aconcave edge 73 that is engaged by the end of its respective lever andfurther include an upper end 73 and a lower end 73 that serves to engagethe oppositely located pocket 70 in the adjoining pairs of rods. Theconcave edge 73 of the button is so cut and formed that a verticalmovement of the end of the lever will insure a pivotal movement of thebutton and throw its ends up or down with the saidlever to engage thepockets before mentioned. The normal positions of these buttons are suchas to engage both of the said rods'when the levers 66 and 67 are in anintermediate position as shown in Fig. 5 .but is so shaped andproportioned that the upper end engages and locks the upper rod when thelever is down, and likewise to engage the lower rod only when the end ofthe lever is thrown up as shown in Fig.7.

The levers 66and 67 as before stated, are hung to swing in both avertical and horizontal direction. They are so arranged however, thatboth of said movements are distinct and separate so as to insure therods being brought back to their normal position before they can bedisengaged by the levers.

This means, as will be noted, consists in aguide plate 75 that issecured to the side of the casing 12 and is forms of slots 7 6 and 7through which the inner end of the respective levers 66 and 67 extend toengage the rods. The lower slot 77 includes a central vertical passagewith oppositely extended notches in each side edge of both the upper andlower ends, thus permitting the levers to be thrown to either side fromthe center. The upper slot 76 also provides for a vertical movement ofthe lever to shift from one rod to the other, and a horizontal movementin both directions when engaging the upper rod 6%. It can, however, beoperated to the left of the central passage only, when engaging thelower rod 65; therefore the second or upper lever is only susceptible ofthree movements from the vertical slot which are all that is required toobtain the three changes of speed in the secondary. Each of these speedsthus represent a subdivision of the respective speeds in the primary andthus give the twelve different speeds obtained.

In practice the secondary transmission mechanism as shown in Fig. 11 isarranged at a right angle to the primary. In this connection note theconnecting driven shaft 30 coupled to shaft 25 and shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 11. This shaft 30 is journaled in bearings of the secondarytransmission mechanism case 78 at a right angle to the other shaftthereof and is provided upon its inner end with a bevel gear 79 thatmeshes with and drives a double faced gear having outer bevel teeth 80and inner teeth 81. Said gear is keyed to the tubular shaft 82 that isjournaled longitudinally in bearings of the casing 78 and has a gear 83formed in its outer peripheral surface. This gear meshes with and drivesa larger gear 84 upon a rovided with special also has keyed thereongears 86 and 87 whichserve to be engaged by the sliding gears 88 and 89respectively, upon a longitudinal shaft 90 journaled in the casing andthe before mentioned tubular shaft 82. The sliding gear 88 is normallylocated between the slide rods 64 and 65 and the sliding gears 88 and 89is formed through bell crank levers 91 and 92, pivotally connected to abracket of the casing as seen in Fig. 1].. The lever 67 and upper rod 64and bell crank lever 91 serve to operate the double acting sliding gear88, While the same lever 67, lower rod 65 and second lbell crank lever92 serve to operate the second sliding gear .89.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In aspeed changing device the combination with two trains ofchangeable speed gears connected together, the second one of which isadapted to produce akmimber of speeds for each speed of the first train,a pair of slide rods for operating each train to produce differentspeeds and a locking lever adapted to be engaged with and disengagedfrom said rods to hold the gears in mesh.

2. In a speed changing device, the combination of two trains of gearsincluding two sliding gears, a slide rod for operating each slidinggear, a single lever for operatdesired to be operated.

ing either of said rods, and a pivotal lock-- ing button arranged toengage the said slide rods and adapted to be engaged and operated by thelever to unlock the particular rod 3. In a speed changing device, thecombination of two trains of gears including two sliding gears, a sliderod for operating each sliding gear, a pivotal lever adapted to engageeither rod for operating the same, a locking device arranged to engageeither or both of the said rodsand adapted to be operated by themovement of the lever so as to unlock the particular rod desired to beoperated, and a second lever also designed to lock the said rods.

4. In a speed changing device, the combination of two trains of gearsincluding two or more sliding gears, slide rods for operating saidsliding gears, levers for operating either of the said rods, lockingdevices arranged to engage either of the said rods and adapted tobeoperated by the movement of the levers so as to unlock the particularrod desired to be operated, and further means to lock the said rods andto prevent of which is adapted to produce a number of speeds for eachspeed of the first train, means for adjusting the gears and operatingthem jointly to produce a number of speeds, slide rods and levers foroperating the two trains, a disk clutch mechanism through which thegearings are operated, and a. lever for operating the clutch mechanismand to lock the rods.

6. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a hollow shaft, pairs of sliding gears upon thehollow shaft to engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft. a drivingshaft within the hollow shaft, slide rods to operate the sliding gears,an operating lever connected with said rod, a series of friction disksarranged between the driving and hollow shafts, and a lever to operatethe said disks to engage the two shafts.

7. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a hollow shaft, sliding gears upon the hollow shaftto engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft, a driving shaft withinthe hollow shaft, a sliding rod to operate the sliding gears, anoperating lever-connected with the said rod, :1 series of friction disksarranged between the driving and hollow shafts, a lever to operate thesaid disks to engage the two shafts, a friction cone between the hollowshaft and casing, and a lever for operating both said disks and cone.

8. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, two pairs of sliding gears toengage the gears upon the driven shaft, a pair of slide rods to operatethe sliding gears and having pockets therein, a pivoted operating leveradapted to engage with the pockets of either of said rods, and buttonsadaptedto be. engaged by the lever to lock the rods in position.

9. In a speed changing mechanism, the

combination with a driven shaft, fixed gears of sliding rods to operatethe sliding gears and having pockets therein, an operating lever adaptedto engage either of the said pockets in said rods, and buttons engagedby the lever to lock the rods disengaged from the lever.

10. In a speed changing device of the class described, the combinationwith a casing, a driving and a driven shaft, of a sleeve carried uponeach shaft, a series of disks keyed to and slidable upon each of saidsleeves, a second driven shaft, sliding gears upon the first mentioneddriven shaft, gears upon the second mentioned driven shaft to be engagedby the sliding gears, a sliding rod to operate the sliding gears andhaving notches therein, an operating lever connected with said rod,friction cones arranged between the driving shaft and casing, and alever to operate the disks and cones and having an arm to engage thesail notches to prevent movement of the r0 11. In a speed changingmechanism, the combination with a driven shaft, a pair of fixed gearsthereon, a driving shaft, a pair of sliding gears to engage the fixedgears upon the driven shaft, a sliding rod to operate each of thesliding gears and having notches therein, an operating lever adapted tobe connected with either of said rods for shifting the sliding gears,and a locking lever to engage the said notches to prevent a movement ofthe rods.

12. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, a sliding gear upon the drivingshaft to engage either of the gears upon the driven shaft, a sliding rodto operate the sliding gear and having notches therein, an operatinglever connected with said rod, a slotted guide plate through which thelever extends, and a locking lever to engage said notches to prevent amovement of the rod.

13. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination witha driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, two pairs of sliding gears uponthe driving shaft to engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft, apair of sliding rods to operate the sliding gears and having notchestherein, a pivoted operating lever adapted to be engaged by either ofsaid rods, and a locking lever to engage the notches in both rods toprevent a movement of either of the rods.

14. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, a sliding gear upon the drivingshaft to engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft, a sliding rod tooperate the sliding gear and having pockets and notches therein, anoperating lever adapted to engage the said pockets in said rod, and alocking lever to engage the said notches to prevent a movement of therod. I

15. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a driven shaft,fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, a sliding gear upon the drivingshaft to engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft, a sliding rod tooperate the sliding gear, an operating lever connected with the saidrod, a main driving shaft, a series of friction disks arranged betweenthe main driving shaft and the driving shaft having the sliding gearsmounted thereon, and a lever to operate the disks and engage the rod toprevent the movement of the latter.

16. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a casing, adriven shaft, fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, a sliding gearmounted thereon, a main driving shaft, a sliding rod to operate thesliding gear, an operating lever connected with said rod, a series offriction disks arranged between the main driving shaft, and the drivingshaft having the sliding gears mounted thereon, friction cones arrangedbetween the driving shaft and casing, and a lever to operate the disksand cones and to prevent movement of the rod.

17. In a speed changing mechanism, the combination with a casing, adriven shaft, fixed gears thereon, a driving shaft, a sliding gear uponthe driving shaft to engage the fixed gears upon the driven shaft, amain driving shaft, a sliding rod to oper ate the sliding gear andhaving notches therein, an-operating lever connected with said rod, aseries of friction disks arranged between the main driving shaft and thedriving shaft having the sliding gears mounted thereon, friction conesarranged between the shaft and casing, and a lever to operate the disksand cones and having an arm to engage the said notches to preventmovement of the rod.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State ofConnecticut this 20th day of December, A. D. 1911.

EDWARD P. BULLARD, J n.

Witnesses:

C. M. NEWMAN, G. N. MOREHOUSE.

